Tyler speaks on partisanship to firefighters

Published 8:08 am Monday, April 20, 2009

By By JOHN EBY / Niles Daily Star
State Rep. Sharon Tyler, R-Niles, "likes Lansing," but sounded vexed talking about high levels of persistent partisanship which thwart the Legislature from accomplishing much.
Tyler, guest speaker for Wolverine Mutual Insurance Co.'s 39th annual Dowagiac Fireman of the Year dinner Thursday night at Timberline Inn on the north side of Indian Lake, said, "In the past two weeks we've begun the state budget. When I left, I felt like someone ripped out part of my stomach. This year we're looking at about, from May to September, a $785 million deficit, or about $100 million a month. We are currently struggling with reforms and cuts. Next year we're probably looking at a $1.5-billion deficit. What will probably happen is we'll probably use the stimulus dollars for the current budget, such as Medicaid. We just recently approved a seven-week unemployment benefits extension."
On the budget, "I can't stress enough that we have to make reforms," Tyler told the Dowagiac Fire Department, whose members she thanked by saying, "It's a wonderful thing you do. I'm very proud of your service to the City of Dowagiac."
"There are going to be cuts and there are going to be consequences. There is a new tax proposed, which frightens me because I'm not sure what that's going to be. Right now the state is not looking at a recovery until about October 2010 – and that does not include if one of the Big Three closes its doors. If that happens, in my personal opinion, we're going to have to pray a lot."
Tyler acknowledged that she has "taken a lot of flak" for voting against Hire Michigan legislation, which she sees backfiring against her district bordering Indiana.
"If we start putting borders on Indiana, what will Indiana do to us?" in retaliation, she wonders. It could hinder job opportunities for Michigan residents who work in Indiana. "I'm working with Sen. Ron Jelinek," R-Three Oaks, chair of the Appropriations Committee, to amend the Hire Michigan legislation.
"When you're trying to get the economy going, it's common sense. Sometimes common sense doesn't prevail in Lansing, which is about parties. We've got to get past that party issue to make sure we move forward this economy. Certain things are party issues, but right now we have to all come together. A House bill came from the Democratic side. We all agreed on it with a few amendments for transparency and a couple of other items. Before we even approved it, they closed the meeting and opened it up with a new House bill that removed all our amendments. We can't afford to be operating like that. We have to work together. It's really bothersome when you see that they couldn't accept something" from the other side of the aisle.
The punchline of Tyler's anecdote is that she was sitting with a fellow Republican as she railed about "the ridiculousness. We waste too much time with this" party wrangling.
"We did it, too," her female colleague reminded her.
"We've got to get over it if we want to move forward," Tyler said.
She is home Mondays and Fridays and spends Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in Lansing, where she shares an apartment with six women, including two Secretary of State candidates.
"It's been very interesting serving for the first time as a state representative. Sometimes you wonder, 'Did I make the right decision?' I know I did because it's about people and making the right choices where you live. I also took my passion for economic development to Lansing. I serve on new economy and quality of life, which is an arm of the House of Representatives. I am also the Republican vice chair of agriculture, which a lot of people don't look at as economic development, even though it's second largest in Michigan. When you look at agriculture, you're looking at manufacturing, alternative energy and employment. It's very diverse."
Tyler also serves on senior health, security and retirement and on education.
"You will be seeing many education reforms within the next two years," she predicted. "We're talking about five to six changes. With the additional algebra class the governor added, we're finding that a lot of our young people cannot graduate. One option, which has to go through the House and Senate before it goes to the governor is a diploma that is a clear pathway or college prep. Another is all-day kindergarten," which Dowagiac approved, "but it may be delayed for two years. One of the things I found is that within Berrien Springs, certain religions don't believe in full-day kindergarten. The other thing is that it is not mandated, so if you don't believe in it, those children will be left behind. Another item which has been proposed is changing sinking fund dollars to allow for technology bonds. Also, changing the dropout age from 16 to 18. I can see the child who does not want to be in school disrupting the class. There has to be some kind of alternative place for that student who does not want to learn."
Tyler was appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm and her party to the Council for Labor and Economic Growth and she co-chairs entrepreneurship efforts.
"With economic development, we grow our own businesses in Michigan," Tyler said. "A lot of it doesn't come from outside of the state, but from within. I believe we have to create a lot of incentives."
Tyler, elected last November, represents the 78th District, including Berrien County and the Dowagiac area of Cass County.